The Entrepreneurs
A weekly deep dive into global business. Inspiring stories from startups to legacy brands in hospitality, design, fashion, and retail.
Latest Episodes
Dave Dawson
Dave Dawson trained as a lawyer but never had much love for the legal profession and always harboured a desire to one day start his own design company. That day arrived in 2003 when he decided to quit his day job and launch the Urban Electric Company, a lighting brand…
Kestin Hare
Edinburgh-based fashion designer Kestin Hare worked with a number of labels including Nigel Cabourn and Burberry before launching his eponymous label in 2014. The brand now has two shops, one in Shoreditch and one in the Leith area of the Scottish capital. Made in the UK, the styles are a…
Anatomē
Brendan Murdock made his name as the founder of well-designed barbershops, which he called Murdock London. The brand was right at the forefront of a wave of new spots catering to men who care about their appearance and are willing to pay good money for smart grooming products. But Murdock…
Rapha
Launched in London in 2004, Rapha sets the benchmark for premium cycling wear. Its 22 shops-cum-cafés around the world act as community hubs for cyclists, selling performance and streetwear as well as skincare, self-produced films and an in-house magazine; it also provides luxury travel experiences. We met Simon Mottram, the…
Gousto
Timo Boldt is the co-founder and CEO of technology-cum-food business Gousto, one of the leading meal-kit providers in the UK. Since its launch in 2012 it has delivered more than 13 million meals and in March, off the back of strong growth, secured a further £28.5m (€32.4m) in funding to…
Away
Jen Rubio co-founded direct-to-consumer luggage company Away in 2016. She met business partner Stephanie Korey when the pair worked at eyewear venture Warby Parker; they took their experience and used it to disrupt an industry that they felt was stuck in a rut. With four shops across the US (and…
VanMoof
Brothers Taco and Ties Carlier founded the Dutch bike brand VanMoof in 2009 with the mission to reimagine how a bicycle can function in the cities of tomorrow. The slick electric bikes they design subtly integrate smart technology, such as a theft-defence system that includes a built-in alarm and an…
Coco-Mat
As we’re increasingly being told by serious researchers and popular science writers alike, a good night’s sleep is essential to our health and wellbeing. But it’s something Paul Efmorfidis has known for decades. The entrepreneur had an epiphany as a young man after he made a bed of seaweed in…
Olivela
While fashion and philanthropy are finding common ground, it’s not often a brand or fashion retailer is set up specifically to benefit a charitable cause. But that’s exactly what entrepreneur Stacey Boyd has done with Olivela. The e-commerce platform carries more than 200 luxury brands, with 20 per cent of…
Malin+Goetz
Beauty and skincare brand Malin+Goetz launched in 2004. The simple elegant packaging, unisex products and approachable brand instantly caused a stir. Skincare expert Matthew Malin found nothing could calm his sensitive skin; Andrew Goetz – a self-confessed cosmetics philistine and former marketing director for Swiss furniture-maker Vitra – worked on…
